The Lark at Gluttony, Sat 22 Feb 2025

The colony of South Australia was barely established when railways came along
to transform the transportation. A trip that took six days by wagon now took only
six hours. Produce from all over the state could be brought to the ports just as
quickly. This significant development is the setting for this story, one that is
quintessentially our own.
Commuters and train workers in towns far and wide came to know this
legendary hound, for Railway Bob, the star of this show, loved nothing better
than to ride the train tracks. He especially loved the bush, or perhaps it was just
the joy of going for long rides to many distant dots on the map. Whatever the
reason, Bob’s fame began humbly enough, as a companion to the drivers on
their extended journeys. He also made friends with the porters in many
places, and even gained a mention in the SA parliament, and some prominence in the
SA Railways, a major institution in those times.
Many tales are recorded of his exploits, and of his interactions with various folk.
These stories are woven together with a suite of songs into a lively performance
with two actors and of course, one very woolly dog. These verbatim reports give
an authenticity to what is an important piece of our local heritage. Bob’s
reputation grew to mythical proportions, and as such he became the stuff of
countless rumours. Like all great legends, parts of his life remain shrouded in
mystery.
The dialogues and narration are clever and crisp, and the action keeps rolling
along as it visits all corners of the state and crisscrosses the nation. The songs
are clearly understandable as they contribute to the ongoing narrative, with
minimal musical accompaniment from two instruments. The countless
characters that Bob meets are played deftly by the pair, who both have fine
singing voices too. It is wonderful indeed to see and hear our unique voice being
recounted, the real riches that lie right beneath our noses. Such stories are the
subsoil of our evolving culture, and we’d do well to nurture this. You would be well
advised to indulge yourself and immerse yourself in this delightfully dramatized
description of a slice of our history.